Prepare for a virtual, open, service-oriented and secure forecast

It’s getting cloudy. Fast. Gartner estimates worldwide cloud services revenue will more than surpass US$56.3 billion this year and will surge to just more than $150 billion in 2013.¹ IDC predicts cloud computing services will represent a US$42 billion market by 2012. ² Interest in cloud is reaching near universal proportions for IBM customers, 40% of them use some form of cloud today and almost all are interested in using it in the future. ³

It could be a pleasant forecast for IT departments. For users, cloud computing is a way to get the applications they need provided as services on demand, without needing to know from where or how they are delivered. For IT departments, cloud computing means providing high quality services from an infrastructure that is almost infinitely scalable and flexible, and one that simplifies IT management and reduces costs. It's a win-win, but IT departments will need to get ready to take advantage of the cloud.

40% of IBM customers use some form of cloud today and almost all are interested in using it in the future – IBM Value Proposition Quantitative Research

Dynamic leadership

IBM is helping lead the cloud charge. It has built 13 cloud computing centers around the world ⁴ and created a cloud computing business unit reporting directly to the chairman, Sam Palmisano. ⁵ IDC sees “that of all the available cloud service definitions, IBM’s is by far the most expansive and encompassing.” ⁶ Recently, at the IBM Pulse 2009 conference, IBM established a new vision for a Dynamic Infrastructure that provides a foundation for cloud computing.

Now, in the next step of its Dynamic Infrastructure initiative, IBM is delivering new and enhanced software to help further cloud computing in general practice. The software provides critical capabilities to condition and prepare IT infrastructures to exploit all that cloud computing offers by supporting open standards and service orientation, virtualization and automation, as well as security and resiliency.

Without service management, dynamic infrastructures and cloud computing cannot exist. – EMA Impact Brief, February 2009

addition to these software offerings to help condition your infrastructure for cloud, there is an IBM software-as-a-service offering that can be used immediately to lower costs and boost productivity. On April 7, 2009, IBM made available its LotusLive™ Engage cloud-based solution for business social networking. LotusLive Engage is delivered through the cloud to give businesses the tools they need to collaborate and use social networking capabilities to work smarter and faster, without increasing resources from the IT department. Try LotusLive Engage today.

A dynamic infrastructure helps build a smarter planet

IBM, its customers and business partners are working on building a smarter planet and that means building smarter IT infrastructures that enable a more instrumented, interconnected and intelligent world. Cloud computing is a key component of the IBM vision for a dynamic infrastructure and IBM has the software to help gear up for the low-cost, high-flexibility promise waiting in the cloud. Whether it’s to help businesses out-maneuver the competition, create more efficient energy grids, safer and healthier food supplies or any other of the many ways technology can help the planet work better, IBM is delivering the software to make cloud computing part of a bright, innovative and smarter future.